Sharing My Love for Glasses

Glasses can be affordable and look stylish. They don't just have to be what you wear in the evenings to give your eyes a break from contacts. And, beyond a quick appointment to get your current prescription, you don't even have to leave your home to choose your best frames.

Why Glasses (and Not Contacts)

After 18 years of wearing glasses, I finally figured out how to actually like wearing them, and even get compliments on them regularly. Of course, that wasn't exactly my goal. But if glasses can be cool enough to evoke comments from strangers and they save me money, then I call that a win-win.

Some of my favorite reasons for loving glasses: Glasses are easy to wear and care for. They're healthier for eyes than contacts. They can be really affordable. (They can also be really expensive, but we've found our way around that.) And I actually like the way they look--with the right frames, of course.

Why We Love Warby Parker

We wasted a lot of money on glasses before finally finding Warby Parker--a glasses company offering designer-quality eyewear at a great price. And we fell in instant love. Here's a little more about Warby Parker and why we love buying our glasses from them.

Warby Parker glasses are super affordable.

Frames with prescription lenses start at $95 total and sunglasses with prescription lenses start at $150 total. We save tons compared to all the other glasses we've bought in the past. (We've literally spent hundreds of dollars for glasses in the past even with insurance. Warby Parker's prices were a breath of fresh air.)

They offer designer quality frames.

We've had a variety of name-brand frames including Ray-Ban, Oakley, DKNY, Calvin Klein, and others over the years. Our frames from Warby Parker have held up just as good (or maybe even better?) than the others brands.

For each pair sold, Warby Park donates a pair of glasses to someone in need.

I love companies that give back, and that's just what they do.

Warby Parker's home try-on and shipping are completely free.

While they have retail locations all around the U.S. and even a couple in Canada, we don't have a Warby Parker here in our hometown, but we easily buy from them online and even get to try the glasses on first with their free Home Try-On. All we've ever paid for is our actual glasses and taxes after we order the pair we want. We don't pay shipping or any try-on fees. We go online, choose five pairs, they send them to us, we try them on, then send them back. Even if we decided to not buy a single pair, it's zero cost to try them out--just be sure you send them back!

What's the Catch with Ordering Glasses Online

The above list sounds amazing, doesn't it?! Are you wondering what's the catch?

For me, there is no catch. But there are a couple more details you should know about ordering glasses online from Warby Parker. (Most of this is true for ordering prescription glasses online from anywhere.)

You'll need an accurate pupillary distance.

The distance between the middle of your two pupils. It's in millimeters and can be a challenge to get an accurate measurement if you haven't done it before. The Warby Parker website has a tool that might help. We had success with taking the measurement a few times manually just to get a good idea of the accurate number. This worked great for us, but I've heard of others not having such good results. And an accurate pupillary distance is essential to making sure you can see well, so spend some time to get it right.

You need a current prescription.

This may be a no-brainer, but if you're getting prescription lenses, go to an eye doctor for a check-up and get your current prescription. Then have them print it out for you. You enter the numbers when you checkout online, and you might need to scan and submit a copy. I believe the prescription needs to be dated within the last year.

Your glasses might need adjusted.

Whenever I've gotten glasses at other places, there's always someone there ready to adjust them which can be helpful with my uneven ears. My husband successfully adjusted my last pair, but I recommend getting help if you need it instead of risking breaking your new glasses. If you end up paying for this, Warby Parker may reimburse you.

Not all glasses are $95 and not all sunglasses are $150.

Their frame options are growing, with some selling out or available for a limited time. With that, prices vary, though we've found even their pricier frames are still cheaper than the designer ones we used to buy.

Not all frames are available for home try-on.

Some frames, maybe some you really like, aren't available for home try-on. I can love a frame online but hate it on me. So I personally rule out the frames I can't try-on. You do what you need to. They have free shipping on returns, so look into that if necessary.

You'll have to bill insurance yourself.

If insurance covers part of your glasses, you'll have to take care of that yourself. We pay for insurance's part of our glasses with a credit card, use our insurance company's forms to send them receipts immediately, then put that reimbursement back on our credit card. Look into what your insurance will cover and what documentation they need before you buy so that you're prepared.

How to Do a Home Try-On

Warby Parker has a virtual try-on, where you can upload a photo of yourself to see the frames added to the photo. But the real perk is Warby Parker's free Home Try-On, where they'll send you 5 frames to try on at home for 5 days.

Order your Home Try-On.

Choose 5 frames and add them to your Home Try-On "order." If you can't find five you want to try on, they'll auto-fill the box with others you might like.You enter credit card information as a back up in case you never return the frames. They put a charge of a dollar to ensure there are funds in the account, then that charge disappears after a couple days.

Try the glasses on.

We usually receive our Home Try-On within a few days from "ordering" it. You have five days to try on the glasses. Share pictures on Facebook or Instagram if you want input from family and friends. I like looking at the frames in the mirrors I already use on a daily basis and maybe even with a couple different of my go-to outfits. It helps me feel more sure that I'm choosing frames that really fit my style.

Send the glasses back.

When you're done trying on the glasses, or by the fifth day of the Try-On, the glasses need to be sent back. The instructions are clearly printed in the box. The glasses get put back in the same box they came in, and the enclosed shipping label is put over the box, then drop it in the mailbox. Easy Peasy.

At any point, I can choose a pair (or two ;) to order and get filled with my prescription. Or I could order another round of 5 frames to try on if I didn't find any I liked in the first round. And if I decided I didn't like any or didn't want to order at this time, the whole process still wouldn't cost me anything.

How to Choose Glasses

Start with wearing what you normally wear, including your usual hairstyle. Don't be afraid to reach out of your comfort zone to try on something a little trendy. Note the shapes and colors you like and don't worry about if you "can pull them off." Take pictures at an angle and head on to compare a little more objectively than looking in the mirror. Get trusted opinions--posting on social media for feedback is fine, but rely on the people you trust. Also look away from the mirror and consider how the glasses feel.

I like to keep two frames at all times. This helps in case one broke or were lost. It also allows me to have one frame with a "wow" factor--a shape or color that's a little bolder and acts as a statement accessory with my plainer outfits. This is the pair that gets compliments from strangers and people asking me where I get my glasses. And I get one frame that's a little more neutral/subtle and can go with all outfits--these are just a trusty staple, no compliments.

How to Style Glasses

Simplify your accessories, because glasses are an accessory. Look up YouTube tutorials on doing makeup with glasses. The main thing to note is that glasses create shadows around your eyes, so use concealer or lighter eyeshadow to keep your eyes looking bright. Get a pair (or two) of prescription sunglasses. It makes glasses wearing a little more seamless while driving and spending time outdoors. If you can, opt for two pairs of frames. A bolder frame with color or a pattern or a wide edge, helps add interest to more basic/neutral outfits. While a more simple frame doesn't take away from a more colorful or pattern-heavy outfit.

What about Kids' Glasses?

Warby Parker has offered kids' frames for a limited time in the past, but they currently only offer men's and women's frames. Our daughter recently had to get glasses, so we went ahead and had her choose frames from the doctor's office, and I remembered all over again why we stick with Warby Parker. Most store's frames with the additional cost for lenses are pricey! Six months later she was having problems with her prescription, so we decided to buy her next pair from Zenni Optical.

Zenni Optical offers great affordable frames starting at $6. Their lenses are an additional cost, but with everything together they were still a little cheaper than Warby Parker and absolutely cheaper than buying where she had her doctor's appointment. They offer men's, women's, and kids' glasses. Their "try-on" is only a virtual try-on where you upload your photo. So we ended up choosing frames for her somewhat blindly, and were still happy with what we found. They were affordable. We got her two pairs. And the optician at Target adjusted the glasses for her for free.

We'll likely continue to buy kids glasses from Zenni, but my husband and I are definitely still planning to purchase our glasses from Warby Parker.

*Note: Affiliate links used in this post. Any purchases made through these links could earn me a small commission with no extra cost to the purchaser. I began sharing about Warby Parker because I love their glasses and company; their affiliate program means I can now benefit from the promotion I do for them. Details accurate at time of posting. Specifics subject to change; check the Warby Parker website for updated info.